Louis M. Reigel, III. Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the New Orleans Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Anthony Amato, Superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools; First Assistant Grover C. Austin, Office of Legislative Auditor, State of Louisiana; Superintendent Edwin Compass, III, New Orleans Police Department; Colonel Terry Ebbert, Director of Homeland Security, City of New Orleans; Eddie J. Jordan, Jr., Orleans Parish District Attorney; James B. Letten, United States Attorney, Eastern District of Louisiana; and Patricia A. VanGilder, Special Agent in Charge of Investigations, United States Department of Education, Office of Inspector Gencral announce today the creation of a working group to review and investigate alleged criminal violations involving the New Orleans Public Schools (HOPS).

The original investigation of the New Orleans Public Schools resulted in the guilty pleas of former NOPS Risk Manager, Carl Coleman, and contractor Jeffrey Pollitt. While this investigation continues, the need for a working group arose from a request by Superintendent Amato and community leaders to assist in reviewing suspicious transactions and activities being conducted by employees or associates of employees within the NOPS, To best address this request, it was determined that a working group involving various local and federal agencies was needed to look into other potential criminal violations. The working group will aggressively pursue all criminal violations whether they be local, state or federal.

The working group will be located at the NOPS Administrative office at 3510 General De Gaulle Drive, New Orleans. A hotline has been established for receiving calls relating to potential criminal matters involving the NODS. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the investigators of the working group directly at (504) 304-5799; the FBI at (504) 816-3000; or the DOE hotline at (800) MIS-USED (647-8733).